"Best work guns were and remain fearsomely expensive."

In the 1920s a best London sidelock retailed for 100 pounds. At that time a Royal Navy captain earned about 450 pounds annually. Ordering a London best was not beyond the ability of the non wealthy.

Today the same gun costs twice the annual salary of a Royal Navy captain. There are other factors at work here.

And a personal experience. In the early 1960s a H&H Royal cost about 1500 pounds. It was about the same price as a regular small English car. Our local butcher bought one. He could afford it. Then came the 1970s and the inflation era, followed by the 1980s engraving madness and the scene changed drastically.